Creating an effective cover, indie author bestsellers and the evolution of romance writing
What’s happened in the book world this week?
KWL Ep 130––Signe Pike
In this episode, Steph and Laura chat to author Signe Pike about her novel The Lost Queen. Signe talks to us about her time as an…
KWL Ep 129––Bishop Blue
In this episode of the KWL Podcast, Steph and first-time co-host Mickie interview Bishop Blue, a musical duo that is pioneering the concept of “novel songwriting.”
10 Steps to a Bestselling Novel
By Sierra Delarosa Are you aiming for your next book to become a bestseller? Why do some books become more popular than others? While there’s no surefire…
KWL EP 125 – Courtney Summers
KWL EP 125 – Courtney Summers In this episode, Stephanie and Marina sit down with New York Times best-selling author Courtney Summers. We talk to Courtney…
To Swear or Not To Swear: Where Are Your Boundaries As An Author?
How do you feel about swearing in your books? Hard no, or appropriate when the narrative calls for it?
Ready, Set, WRITE! NaNoWriMo 2018 is kicking off!
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) began today! Wishing all you NaNoNovelists a fantastic month of writing!
How To Win NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo is a fun way to connect with a global writing community and a great way to focus on really prioritizing your writing for 30 days
Literary Round Up, Sept 21st
News from around the book world this week.
Reflections: The Inner World of a Multi-Genre Author
By Barbara Avon Enter, if you will, the mind of a multi-genre author. Images, ideas and words swirl aimlessly in my mind. A 3 a.m. wake-up…
How to Do Everything
by Dr. Melissa Yi KWL: Hi, Melissa. How come you’re wearing a white coat? Melissa: Because I’m an emergency doctor. I also have one husband, two…
How I Found My Story and Made Sense of My Early Drafts
By Mackenzie Belcastro For eight months, my novel went through a series of identity crises. My high fantasy morphed into magical realism, as I killed my…
KWL Author Takeover #2: Adam Croft!
I’ve been writing crime fiction and psychological thrillers for a decade now, and have been self-publishing for around eight years.
I’m now fortunate enough to have sold more than 1.5 million books all around the world, and I’ve reached the position where I’m able to give something back.
Where Did Your Writing Journey Begin?
I believe that everyone has a story to tell. Mine began in a library.
Promoting Your Books (and Career!) Through Multi-Author Boxsets
By Erin Wright In the summer of 2017, I got together with five other Western Romance authors and we decided to put together a boxset…
How I Became an Author in Retirement
by Michele Sabad We define ourselves in various ways, depending on time, mood, inclination. Many of our identities are stable throughout life. I am a woman.…
Play Time: Fun and Pain in Characterization
A character in a story is an action figure . . . a fun, functional component necessary to a story. Just like literal toys, characters have pieces and joints, edges and options, a fixed appearance and range of motion that begs to be played with
Empowering Women Writers Through Self-Publishing
Suddenly, the freedom of self-publishing and my empowerment as a female author were inextricably linked. There was no one to tell us we were unworthy or incapable or shouldn’t do a thing because that thing had never been done.
What Makes Your Story Unique to You?
I’m talking about writing a book for genre readers that meets trope expectations, elicits emotional reactions, and satisfies the cravings of romantic suspense and thriller readers, but also brings something new that’s missing from the market. A way to make a space for me at the table.
“I can’t imagine giving up the control I now have over my books and career.”
Some might consider money to be too puerile a reason to choose one option over another (as opposed to the illusive concept of prestige), but we were struggling financially. Really struggling. I’d wake up in cold sweats at night. Writers have to eat; writers’ children need clothes, and school supplies.
Eight Tools That Will Help You Start Your Novel
By Joni Di Placido Sometimes the biggest challenge in writing is finding the time and the focus to just sit down and do it. Between the…
Authors On A Train Part II
If there’s one takeaway for me, it would be that I’ve now seen even more proof of how beneficial it can be to come together and collaborate – even if it takes you out of your comfort zone.
Romance Writers Don’t Need Your Love—They’re Too Busy Making Bank
If living well is the best revenge, then romance authors are going to be fine. As the brilliant Jennifer Weiner once put it, we’ll just weep into our royalty statements.
Authors On A Train Part I: The Beginning
By Zach Bohannon and J. Thorn Zach Bohannon and J. Thorn are bestselling science fiction and horror authors, and the co-owners of Molten Universe Media. They…
Exclusive Sneak Preview of J. Robert Kennedy’s New Book!
The Kobo Writing Life blog is getting the first look at bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy‘s upcoming title, The Templar Detective and the Parisian Adulteress,…
Hyphens
By Mignon Fogarty Today’s topic is hyphens. Recently a friend was watching the cable channel CNBC and called me over to the TV because the hosts…
Grammar Girl’s Top 10 Language Myths
by Mignon Fogarty We have a special top-10 post to celebrate the end of the year, and—before you argue—read the whole explanation about why each of…
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 099 – BookBub
The episode you can’t miss: how to sell more books with BookBub.
How to Use Attributives
Dialogue is hard to write and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Getting characters to have individual voices has caused more sleepless nights than too much coffee late in the day. Once the dialogue sounds right and reads right on the page, there is the problem of attributives.
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 098 – Rachel Amphlett
In Episode 98, Mark Lefebvre interviews bestselling Australian thriller author Rachel Amphlett, who came to Kobo HQ during her international author tour. Rachel, her husband Nick, and Mark sat down to talk about how she finds inspiration, never giving up, sticking to a schedule, and more
4 Ways Good Stories Move Us
What’s your favourite book and why? Share in the comments!
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 097 – James Alan Gardner & Spider Robinson
Mark Lefebvre interviews James Alan Gardner and Spider Robinson, co-editors of the Tesseracts Twenty: Compostela anthology. The stories in this anthology in their own way tell the tale of futuristic travelers who journey into the dark outer (or inner) reaches of space, searching for their own connections to the past, present and future relics of their time.
Apostrophe Catastrophe
It’s no wonder that people are confused about apostrophes, because new uses were introduced in the 1600s and again in the 1700s, and it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that people even tried to set down firm rules.
Tips and Tools to Help You Complete NaNoWriMo (or any writing project)
You’re down to the wire. The deadline for NaNoWriMo (or another writing project) looms on the horizon. But you’re behind. You’re afraid you’re not going to make it. You simply don’t have enough time to write the requisite number of words at your typical writing pace. Or the words just won’t come. Or both. What’s a writer to do?
Team KoboWriMo 2017: Seven Days In
So how’s it going so far? I wanted to find out the challenges and triumphs our writers have experienced over the past week.
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 096 – Pep Talks from NaNoWriMo’s Grant Faulkner
It’s day 8 of National Novel Writing Month, which is perfect timing to listen to some excellent inspiration from Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of NaNoWriMo. He…
Once Upon A Time . . . Retelling Classic Fairytales
Fairytales are stories that never die. Storytellers breathe new life in them, but the essential tale is the same, because we love those stories so much.
What Is a Comma Splice?
By Mignon Fogarty How to Use Commas Commas are always tricky because there are so many different ways you can use them, but one of the most…
Team KoboWriMo 2017
Aaaaand the big day is here at last! Here at Kobo we have an intrepid team of fifteen staff members (our biggest yet!) attempting the…
Kobo Writing Life Podcast—Episode 095—Estate Planning for Authors with M. L. Buchman
——— KWL Director Mark Lefebvre interviews bestselling author M.L. Buchman (“Matt”) about his non-fiction title specifically targeted for writers and other creators, Estate Planning for Authors:…
The Five Stages Of Revising Your Novel
You’ve finished a first draft of your novel. Now what?
5 Habits of the World’s Most Successful Writers
by Justin Osborn Every writer dreams about the moment when their work hits the bestseller list. We wish for the perseverance and inspiration to churn out…
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 094 – Heather Tucker
It’s never too late to start writing.
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 093 – Interviews from When Words Collide
Episode 93 includes a series of short interviews that KWL Director, Mark Lefebvre conducted at the 2017 When Words Collide conference in Calgary, Alberta. Mark speaks…
Five Things I Learned in the Age of the Typewriter
By Barbara G. Tarn Next year I’ll celebrate 40 years of stories. I stopped counting before the indie revolution and I was already over 500 titles,…
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 092 – Charles de Lint
In Episode 92, Mark Lefebvre interviews Charles de Lint, who is the author of more than seventy books. Renowned as one of the trailblazers of the…
Maim Your Characters: The Structure of an Injury Plot
[The following is an excerpt from the book Maim Your Characters by Samantha Keel] which originally appeared on ScriptMedic: A Medical Consultant for Writers] An…
4 Essential Things to Do to Write Better
by Leah Thurber Being a writer, enjoying what you do and making a profit while doing it is one of the best feelings in the world.…
Welcome, Writer: Your Permission Slip Is Here
This piece is excerpted from Stop Worrying; Start Writing: How To Overcome Fear, Self-Doubt and Procrastination by Sarah Painter You Can Do This I am going…
Saving Money on Editing: Tips on Self-Editing
Hiring the right editor for the appropriate edits can often be one of the most challenging as well as the most expensive steps in the publishing…